Apparatus for codispensing a plurality of liquids



June 20, 19%? J. A. HAYES 3,326,416

APPARATUS FOR CODISPENSING A PLURALITY OF LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 14, 1966 9 g; 2: 2a 22 I, so 25 5| INVENTOR JOHN A. HAYES AGENT United States Patent 3,326,416 APPARATUS FOR CODISPENSHNG A PLURALETY 0F LIQUIDS JohuA. Hayes, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to E. I. du

Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a

corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 520,787 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-4) This invention relates to a dispenser adapted for storing at least two different liquid materials in isolation from each other and for the intermittent dispensing of these materials in contact with each other. The invention also concerns a dispensing valve adapted for use in the novel dispenser.

The invention provides an apparatus which can be used for the codispensing of liquids and other fluid materials which are very reactive with each other at ordinary room temperatures. The dispenser is especially useful for the instantaneous preparation of warm shaving lather.

The noveldispensing valve, in a broad sense, comprises a resilient tubular seal and a rigid tubular stem fittedcoaxially and sealingly in said tubular seal,

the lower portion of said stem comprising a port in the stem wall and a valve head having a lower face and a laterally extending annular shoulder, the upper end of said stem comprising an outlet communicating with said port,

said tubular seal having a lower portion (1) terminating in an annular end face which forms a breachable seal with said laterally extending annular shoulder, and (2) having an inner wall defining an annular chamber which surrounds said tubular stem, communiactes with said outlet through said port, and is partitioned by said breachable seal from the space surrounding the lower portion of the tubular seal,

said valve head being perforated with at least one channel which extends from a point in the lower face of the valve head to a point in said annular shoulder within the area of said breachable seal.

Expressed broadly, the novel dispenser of this invention comprises an outer container (A) adapted for storing a liquid under pressure and having an aperture in which is sealingly fastened a dispensing valve,

said dispensing valve having a resilient tubular sealfitted sealingly in said aperture and a rigid tubular stem fitted coaxially and sealingly in said tubular seal, said stern terminating inside of container (A) in a valve head having a laterally extending annular shoulder, terminating outside of container (A) in a dispenser outlet, and being tiltable about an intermediate pivot point, and

an inner container (B), preferably a collapsible container, within and smaller than container (A) and having its upper end sealingly attached to said valve head, thereby providing a chamber (C) which is outside of (B) and within (A),

said tubular seal having a lower portion (1) terminating inside of container (A) in an annular end face which forms a breachable seal with the laterally extending annular shoulder of the valve head, and (2) having an inner wall defining an annular chamber which surrounds said tubular stern, communicates with the dispenser outlet through a port in the stem wall, and is partitioned by said breachable seal from the interior of chamber (C),

said valve head being perforated with at least one channel which, when the valve is closed, communicates with the interior of container (B) and is sealed by said end face of the tubular seal in the area of contact with said annular shoulder;

the interiors of container (B) and chamber (C) being in communication with said annular chamber and thereby with the dispenser outlet only when said tubular stem is tilted enough to breach the seal between said end face and said annular shoulder.

The invention illustrated in the three figures of the attached drawing.

FIGURE 1 shows an embodiment of the novel dispenser (including the novel valve) in central vertical section and partially broken away; a portion of the valve stem between its ends is shown in front view. The dispensing valve is in the closed position (i.e., erect or non-tilted FIGURE 2 shows a portion of the dispenser of FIG- URE l in which the dispensing valve is in the open (tilted) position.

FIGURE 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the lower face of the valve head of FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1, outer container 34, which is adapted for storing a liquid under pressure, is a can of the type commonly used in aerosol foam dispensers. The upper portion of can 34 is rounded and tapered to form a circular opening surrounded by a rolled bead18 spun from the metal of the can. The rolled edge of bowl-shaped cover 19 tightly engages head 18, and after the contents of the can are inserted, it is crimped therewith to form a pressureproof seal. Top wall 20 of can,34 has an aperture which is outwardly flanged about axis a perpendicular to wall 20, in this aperture is lockingly and sealingly fitted a tiltopening self-closing dispensing valve. The dispensing valve comprises a tubular seal 17 made of a resilient elastic rubber composition fitted sealingly in aperture 27; the valve also comprises a tubular stem 14 made of a relatively rigid plastic composition fitted coaxially (on axis a) and sealingly in seal 17. The rigid stem has relatively little elastic deformation under load compared, with that of resilient seal 17. Stem 14 terminates inside of can 34 in disc-shaped valve head 25 and terminates outside of can 34 in dispenser outlet 10. By gently pressing the side of stem 14- near the outlet, the stem can be tilted about a pivot point located between its two ends (near the bottom of ring 15) as the stem is tilted, its lower portion moves laterally within annular gap 30. When the tilting pressure is removed from the valve stem, the stem is returned to the erect, closed position by the resilient elastic rubber seal.

The exterior portion (above aperture 27) of stem 14 has (a) a laterally extending shoulder 16 which abuts against the upper end face 13 of seal 17 at a level remote from that of wall 20 and (b) a laterally extending ring 15 in locking contact with a matching groove in the inner Wall of seal 17.

Collapsible inner container 33 is a flexible plastic tube which is smaller than can 34 and has a beaded upper end 23 sealingly fitted in annular groove 31 in the side wall of valve head 25. Thus, there is a chamber outside of tube 33 and within can 34 in which liquid 38 can be stored in isolation from the liquid in the tube. Lower face 32 of valve head 25 forms the top wall of collapsible container 33. In a sense, end face 21 also forms part of the top wall of container 33 since it serves as a closure for channels 24 when the valve is closed. The heat-sealed lower end 35 of tube 33 almost touches bottom wall 36 of i can 34.

head 25 has a laterally extending annular shoulder 22 in sealing contact with end face 21, thereby forming a breachable seal. When the valve is closed, the resilient material of seal 17 is slightly compressed at end face 21. The inside diameter (inner wall) of the lower portion 28 of tubular seal 17 in a region adjacent end face 21 is enlarged so that this portion of the seal is separated from the lower portion of stem 14 by an annular gap or chamber 30 (counterbore recess) which is in communication with dispenser outlet through lateral port 29 and central passage 26 of stem 14. Port 29 is provided by drilling a hole diametrically through the valve stem just above shoulder 22. Annular chamber 30 is partitioned by the breachable seal from the chamber containing liquid 38.

As shown in FIGURE 3, valve head 25 is perforated with eight channels 24. In this embodiment of the invention, the channels were drilled with a No. 73 drill so that the channels are equidistant from each other and from the edge of the valve head. These channels provide communication between the interior of collapsible tube 33 and (a) end face 21 of tubular seal 17 when the valve is closed and (b) gap 30 when the valve is open.

It can be seen in FIGURE 2 that the interior of the chamber containing liquid 38 and the interior of tube 33 are in communication with annular chamber 30 (and therefore port 29, passage 26 and outlet 10) only when stem 14 is tilted enough to breach the seal and thereby provide a gap 3 7 between end face 21 of the seal and annular shoulder 22 of the valve head.

Cap 11 has internal threads to match external threads 12 of the upper portion of stem 14. When the cap is in place, its lower edge abuts upon bead 18; thus stem 14 is locked in the erect position.

The dispenser shown in FIGURE 1 is adapted for storing liquid 38 (including a propellant) in can 34 and a different liquid 39 in tube 33, and for dispensing these two liquids simultaneously and intermittently through outlet 10. When using the dispenser, cap 11 is removed and the dispenser is inverted so that the upper portion of can 34 is filled with liquid; .stem 14 is tilted to open the valve, and liquids 38 and 39 become mixed as they tflow into gap 30 through gap 37 en route to outlet 10. The flow of both liquids into gap 30 stops the instant the valve stem is permitted to return to the erect position and starts again the instant the valve stem is tilted.

Various modificaions of the dispenser described above which will be obvious to one skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. F or example, with reference to FIGURE 1, cap 11 and the threaded portion of stem 14 can be omitted. Stem 14 can be made of any suitable rigid material (e.g., plastic, metal or glass) having sufficient strength and resistance to the liquids being dispensed. Part of the upper portion of tubular seal 17 can be replaced with a helical spring whose upper end abuts against annular shoulder 16 and whose lower end abuts against the upper end face of seal 17, the latter being in a horizontal plane between that of ring and top wall 20. Seal 17 can be made of any suitable resilient material (e.g., natural or synthetic rubber or polyethylene) having the required resilience and resistance to the liquids being dispensed.

Collapsible tube 33 can be made of any suitable flexible or collapsible material having the required resistance to the liquids 38 and 39, for example, plastic, rubber or metal. Various known fastening methods can of course be employed for attaching tube 33 to the valve head so that the interior of the tube communicates with channels 24.

In one embodiment of the invention, a diametric-al groove is provided in the lower face of the valve head, and collapsible tube 33 is replaced by two smaller collapsible tubes (one containing liquid 39A and the other containing liquid 39B) mounted side-by-side with the upper end of each telescopically fitted and heat-sealed to the lower portion of the valve head. Four channels are in the 4 top wall of each tube. By controlling the direction of tilt of stem 14, one can dispense a mixture of (a) liquids 39A and 38, (b) liquids 39B and 38 or (c) liquids 39A,

39B and 38. Alternatively, one or more collapsible tubes designed to resemble a conventional tooth paste tube can be mounted with their upper ends sealingly fitted within individual channels provided with internal threads to match the external threads of the tubes.

Channels 24 through valve head 25 can be varied in size and number to provide the desired discharge of liquid from tube 33. For example, one portion of the valve head can contain more channels or larger channels than another portion, and an indicator can be provided on top of the dispenser to show which direction to tilt the valve stem to dispense a mixture containing a greater proportion of liquid 39 for one purpose than for another.

End face 21 (in the non-compressed state) can have a slope of about 20 from the horizontal as measured radially in an outward and upward direction from axis a; this feature, which is not a novel feature of the present invention, tends to facilitate the sliding and rocking movement of the valve head relative to the end face when the valve is opened and closed.

A source of fluid pressure is provided by any suitable known means for moving the liquids through gap 37 and outlet 10 when the valve is open. For example, a volatile organic material or a compressed gas referred to in the art as propellant can be introduced into can 34, thereby pressurizing both the can and the collapsible tube 33. The useful propellants include those known to be operable in an aerosol-type package, for example, a compressed gas (e.g., nitrous oxide or carbon dioxide), isobutane, straight-chain saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, and water insoluble chlorine and fluorine substituted hydrocarbons having a vapor pressure of about 15-85 p.s.i.g. at 21 C. About 3-25% of propellant is usually required based on the combined weight of propellant and other liquid in can 34; however, a substantially greater amount o f propellant is used for some applications. The dispenser is preferably shaken briefly to obtain a colloidal dispersion of the propellant in liquid 38 just before opening the valve.

The novel dispenser is useful in a variety of applications where it is desired to store two or more different liquid materials in isolation from each other in a single dispenser and to dispense a mixture of these materials. As illustrated below, the dispenser is especially useful for the substantially instantaneous preparation of warm aqueous foam or lather from two suitably reactive, separately stored liquid compositions for conditioning areas of a person to be shaved. Use of the novel dispenser makes shaving fast, easy and comfortable.

Among the other liquid mixtures which can be dispensed from the dispenser of this invention are adhesive compositions, paint compositions, insecticides, cleaning and bleaching compositions, caulking compositions, heated liniment, whipped cream, polyurethane foam, and multicolored cosmetic creams, food products and tooth paste. The preparation and use of the novel apparatus for the instantaneous preparation and dispensing of warm shaving lather is illustrated as follows:

An aqueous foamable composition is prepared according to the following formula:

FORMULA A Percent by weight In preparing Formula A, the first two ingredients are mixed together at 95 C. In a separate container, the water is heated to 100 C. and the third and fourth ingredients are added thereto with stirring. The latter mixture,

while still hot, is added gradually with stirring to the heated mixture of the first two ingredients. After heating the resulting Formula A composition for an additional minutes at 95 C., it is cooled to 21 C.

A Formula B mixture is prepared by mixing 8 parts of potassium sulfite with 92 parts of Formula A.

The dispenser shown in FIGURE 1 is prepared for use by first filling can 34 about two-thirds full with the Formula B mixture described above. The can and its contents are placed in a refrigerator until chilled to -25 C.

Valve stem 14, tubular seal 17 and cover 19 are assembled as described above and shown in FIGURE 1. Before this valve and cover assembly is attached to the can, collapsible tube 33 is filled with 7% hydrogen peroxide and attached to the lower end of the valve stem (valve head 25) so that the beaded top 23 of tube 33 is engaged with groove 31 of the valve head. If desired, the top 23 of the tube can he heat-sealed to the valve head.

With the can and its contents at 25 C., chilled propellant (at a temperature of -25 C.) is introduced into the can in an amount equal to 8.5% of the combined weight of Formula B mixture and propellant. The propellant consists of a 40/60 mixture of dichloroditluoromethane and symmetrical dichlorotetrafluoroethane.

Now the assembly described in the previous paragraph is placed in position with the cover fitted on the can, and the rolled edge of cover 19 is crimped with can bead 18 to form a pressure-proof seal. The dispenser cap is screwed on so that its lower end tightly abuts upon the top of cover 19. Cap 11 provides an obvious means to insure that the valve will not be inadvertently opened during storage and shipment of the dispenser.

The full dispenser is warmed to 21 C. I

Just prior to use, the dispenser is shaken briefly so that the Formula B mixture and propellant in can 34 are adequately blended with one another. None of the liquid in either the can or the collapsible tube can escape into gap 30 during the shaking because of the sealing contact between end face 21 of the tubular seal and annular shoulder 22 of the valve head. Cap 11 is removed, the dispenser is held in an inverted position (bottom side up), the valve is opened by tilting the valve stem, a quantity of warm creamy lather is dispensed from outlet 10, and the valve is allowed to close. The temperature of the dispensed lather is 48 C. The valve is rapidly opened and closed to dispense numerous small batches of Warm lather.

When a person applies the resulting warm lather to the hairy areas of the face and neck by means of his fingers or a brush, the lather comfortably and efficiently prepares these areas for shaving.

While the valve is held open by tilting the valve stem, the separately stored liquid materials within can 34 and tube 33 flow through gap 37 into gap 30; and as the resulting foam-forming liquid mixture entering gap 30 flows through port 29, passage 26 and outlet 10, it becomes heated substantially instantaneously as the result of a rapid exothermic reaction between the potassium sulfite and the hydrogen peroxide.

Filling methods well known in the art other than the one described above can be employed for introducing the foam-forming mixture and propellant into the dispenser, for example, those referred to in the art as the pressure fill method and the under-the-cap fill method. US. Patent 3,132,774 discloses a valve having some of the features of the valve of the present invention, however, this patent does not disclose a valve in which the valve head is perforated with at least one channel as described herein.

In preferredembodiments of the present invention, inner container (B) is collapsible and propellant is introduced only into outer container A (chamber C); but it is also within the spirit of this invention to use a rigid inner container and to introduce propellant into container (B) as well as container (A).

I claim:

1. A dispenser, adapted for storing at least two difl erent liquid materials in isolation from each other, including materials which are very reactive with each other, maintaining said materials in isolation from each other when the dispenser is tipped or shaken, and dispensing said materials simultaneously and intermittently through a common outlet, comprising an outer container adapted for storing a liquid under pressure and having an aperture in which is sealingly fastened a dispensing valve,

said dispensing valve having a resilient tubular seal fitted sealingly in said aperture and a rigid tubular stern fitted coaxially and sealingly in said tubular seal, said stern terminating inside of said outer container in a valve head having a laterally extending annular shoulder, terminating outside of said outer container in a dispenser outlet, and being tiltable about an intermediate pivot point, and

an inner container within and smaller than said outer container and having its upper end sealingly attached to said valve head, thereby providing a storage chamber which is outside of said inner container and within said outer container,

said tubular seal having a lower portion terminating inside of said outer container in an annular end face which forms a breachable seal with the laterally extending annular shoulder of the valve head, and having an inner wall defining an annular chamber which surrounds said tubular stem, communicates with the dispenser outlet through a port in the stem wall, and is partitioned by said breachable seal from the interior of said storage chamber,

said valve head being perforated with at least one channel which, when the valve is closed, communicates with the interior of said inner container and is sealed by said end face of the tubular seal in the area of contact with said annular shoulder,

the interiors of said inner container and said storage chamber being in communication with said annular chamber and thereby with the dispenser outlet only when said tubular stem is tilted enough to breach the seal between said end face and said annular shoulder.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein said inner container is collapsible.

3. In a dispensing valve having means for a first fluid material to enter a chamber within the valve, means for a second fluid material to enter said chamber and thereby form a composite of said materials, and means for starting and stopping the fiow of said materials from their sources through said chamber towards a common outlet, the improvement of constructing said valve so that it has a resilient tubular seal and a rigid tubular stem fitted coaxially and sealingly in said tubular seal,

the lower portion of said stem comprising a port in the stem wall and a valve head having a lower face .and a laterally extending annular shoulder, the upper end of said stem comprising an outlet communicating with said port,

said tubular seal having a lower portion terminating in an annular end face which forms a breachable seal with said laterally extending annular shoulder which seal is adapted to function as said means for said first material to enter said chamber and said means for starting and stopping the flow of said materials, and having an inner wall defining an annular chamber within the valve which surrounds said tubular stem, communicates with said outlet through said port, and

8 is partitioned by said breachable seal from the space References Cited surrounding the lower portion of the tubular seal, UNITED STATES PATENTS said valve head being perforated with at least one channel which extends from a point in the lower face of the valve head to a point in said annular shoulder 5 within the area of said breachable seal and which is adapted to function as said means for a second fluid ROBERT REEVES P r 1mm? Exam'mer' material to enter said chamber. N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner.

3,132,774 5/1964 Soffer. 3,245,582 4/1966 Roth et a1 222-95 X 

3. IN A DISPENSING VALVE HAVING MEANS FOR A FIRST FLUID MATERIAL TO ENTER A CHAMBER WITHIN THE VALVE, MEANS FOR A SECOND FLUID MATERIAL TO ENTER SAID CHAMBER AND THEREBY FORM A COMPOSITE OF SAID MATERIALS, AND MEANS FOR STARTING AND STOPPING THE FLOW OF SAID MATERIALS FROM THEIR SOURCES THROUGH SAID CHAMBER TOWARDS A COMMON OUTLET, THE IMPROVEMENT OF CONSTRUCTING SAID VALVE SO THAT IT HAS A RESILIENT TUBULAR SEAL AND A RIGID TUBULAR STEM FITTED COAXIALLY AND SEALINGLY IN SAID TUBULAR SEAL, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID STEM COMPRISING A PORT IN THE STEM WALL AND A VALVE HEAD HAVING A LOWER FACE AND A LATERALLY EXTENDING ANNULAR SHOULDER, THE UPPER END OF SAID STEM COMPRISING AN OUTLET COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PORT, SAID TUBULAR SEAL HAVING A LOWER PORTION TERMINATING IN AN ANNULAR END FACE WHICH FORMS A BREACHABLE SEAL WITH SAID LATERALLY EXTENDING ANNULAR SHOULDER WHICH SEAL IS ADAPTED TO FUNCTION AS SAID MEANS FOR SAID FIRST MATERIAL TO ENTER SAID CHAMBER AND SAID MEANS FOR STARTING AND STOPPING THE FLOW OF SAID MATERIALS, AND HAVING AN INNER WALL DEFINING AN ANNULAR CHAMBER WITHIN THE VALVE WHICH SURROUNDS SAID TUBULAR STEM, COMMUNICATES WITH SAID OUTLET THROUGH SAID PORT, AND IS PARTITIONED BY SAID BREACHABLE SEAL FROM THE SPACE SURROUNDING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TUBULAR SEAL, 